Former for boat-bu i ldi ng



(No Model.)

M. Y. RANSOM.

FORMER FOR BOAT BUILDING. No. 391,272. Patented Oct. 16, 1888.

' TE TATES ATENT QFFICE.

FORMER FOR BOAT-BUILDING.

SPECIFICATION Application tiled April 21, 1888.

forming part of Letters Patent No. 391.272, dated October 16, 1888.

Serial No. 271,389. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, Mo sns Y. RANsoM, of Cleveland,in the county ofOuyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Formers for Boat-Building; and I do hereby declare thefollowing to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention,such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains tomake and use the same.

My invention relates to an improved former on which to construct,respectively, so-called lap-strake or clinker boats and canoes, in whichthe contour of the former corresponds exactly with the desired internaldimensions of the boat or canoe to be built, the said former having aseries of transverse external grooves adapted to receive the ribs of theboats or canoes, such grooves being faced at the bottom with metal forclinching such nails as are driven through the ribs; also, thelongitudinal strakes of the former where the different planks overlapeach other are faced with metal, usually set flush with the surface ofthe former for clinching the fastening nails that secure such planking.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a side elevation partly insection. Fig. 2 is an elevation in transverse section. Fig. 3 is abottom plan of the former. Figs. 4 and 5 are enlarged elevations insection and plan in detai Fig. 6 is an enlarged perspective of a sectionof the former.

A represents a former embodying my invention, the same being usuallyconstructed of planks,the walls thereofbeing ofsuch thickness (usuallyfrom four to six inches, more or less) as to render the formerabsolutely rigid as against any pressure or strain brought to bear onthe formerin building the boat. As aforesaid, the external surface oftheformer corresponds with the desired internal dimensions and form of theboat to be built thereon, and such former would therefore have flattenedsections 1), c, and (1, adapted to receive the keel B, stem 0, andstern-piece D, these members of the boat being secured together andtemporarily fastened in place on the former. The former is provided witha series of external tranverse grooves, a, the same being of suitabledepth and width to receive the ribs of the boat, leaving the ribs flushwith the external Surface of the former. These grooves at the bottomthereof are faced with metal strips a for clinching the nail that may bedriven through the ribs in fastening, for instance, the planks and keelto the ribs. Metal strips a extend lengthwise of the former, between thegrooves a, along the strakes,where the planking overlap each other.Strips a are usually set in flush with the surface of the former, andare in position to clinch .the nails that socure the laps of the planks.Having a rigid former upon which to construct the boat or canoe, thesize and shape of the different pieces of planks and other members ofthe boat can be determined with nicety, and accurate patterns can beprovided, so that the different pieces used in constructing the boat canbe dressed by machinery and in quantities at a small cost as comparedwith handwork heretofore employed for such purpose.

In assembling the parts,after the keel,stern, and stem pieces have beensecured together and temporarily fastened'in place on the former, theribs are next placed in grooves a, the ribs being thrust endwise throughunder the keel. The ribs are then bent downward until they fit snugly ingrooves a, and the ribs are then secured by means of hooks E. Thesehooks are usually flat plates of steel of about the form shown, beingpivoted at e to the under side of the former opposite to the respectivegrooves a, each hook having a sharp edge, e, that engages a rib,and byindenting the wood thereof prevents the rib from drawing endwise, bymeans of which the ribs are firmly held upon the bottom of thegroovethat is to say, upon the plates a. Next the planks adjacent thekeel, known as the garboard strakes, are placed in position and nailedto the stem and stern pieces. The keel has usually laterally projectingledges b, that these planks overlap and to which they are nailed, andare also nailed to the ribs. The planks in turn are placed in position,each plank overlapping the preceding plank, and the laps are nailed;also, the different planks are nailed to the ribs. By means of theplates a and a. the nails are nicely clinched on the inside as they aredriven. After the planks are all secured the boat may be scribed on theinside, the under face of the former serving as a guide to give theproper shear to the boat; also, the gunwales may be secured in place,after which the boat is removed from the former to receive the wales andsuch decking and internal finish as may be required, and the boat is sofar completed before it is removed from the former that it retains theshape of the latter perfectly, whereas with hand-made beats it is seldomthat the two sides of the boat measure alike, the frame-work of the boathaving been sprung more or less in the course of construction.

Of course different formers have to be constructed for the differentvarieties of boats; but as a very great number of boats may be builtfrom one former the builder can well afford to expend time enough oneach former to shape it perfectly, in which event he is assured ofmaking perfectly-formed boats and at a greatly-reduced initial cost overthe method heretofore practiced in boat-building.

What I claim is- 1. lb boat-building, a former the contour of whichcorresponds with the desired internal dimensions of the craft to bebuilt, said former having a series of external transverse groovesadapted to receive the ribs of the boat, said grooves being'faced at thebottom with metal, and metal facing at the points where the planksoverlap each other, substantially as set forth.

2. In boat-building, a former the external surface of which correspondswith the desired internal dimensions of the boat or canoe to be built,said former having the longitudinal strake thereof where the planksoverlap each other faced with metal, substantially as set forth.

3. In boat-building, a former having grooves faced at the bottom forreceiving the ribs and having metal facing where the planks overlap eachother, substantially as indicated, and hooks pivoted to the edge of theformer in position to engage the ribs and hold the latter in place inthe grooves, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof Isign this specification, in the presence of twoWitnesses,this 24th day of January, 1888.

MOS ES Y. RANSOM.

WVitnesses:

ALBERT E. LYNCH, CHAS. H. Donna.

